EFF former leader granted bail for ‘one Indian, one bullet’ call

Former Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) Jackie Shandu who is facing charges of incitement to violence after he became enraged by the recent Phoenix killings was granted bail in the Durban Magistrates Court on Friday.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Shandu, 37, a former EFF deputy provincial chairperson, had appeared in court on Friday to face charges of allegedly contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act 17 of 1956, on two counts of incitement to commit public violence.

This comes after a video of Shandu shouting “One settler, one bullet, one Indian, one Bullet” during a public address on the steps of the Durban City Hall went viral on social media  on Thursday. Shandu, who is convenor of the Justice for Phoenix Massacre Victims said he had uttered the hate speech in a “fit of rage” after spending time with the traumatised families of victims who had been killed in Phoenix during the recent unrest. A total of 36 people were killed in the suburb as armed residents blockaded roads to protect their community from looters. 

Shandu swiftly retracted his remarks in a second video in which he described them as ‘problematic remarks’. Ramkisson said the court granted Shandu bail with strict conditions on Friday.

“Bail was granted at R2000 and the accused is to remain in the Morningside address and to report to Berea police station every Saturday,” Ramkisson said.

In the second video in which he retracted the remarks Shandu said: “During our march I made some problematic remarks which with the benefit of hindsight now should not have been said. I said ‘one settler one bullet, one Indian one bullet’. I want to withdraw those remarks because I do not condone violence and I see the potential they have to inflame already existing racial tensions. I just want it to be on record that I am saying that having reflected, having sobered up, of course one was deeply enraged in that moment, one was feeling he hurt and the pain and the trauma, certain things came out, but we are anti-racist in our outlook,” Shandu said.

“We do not condone racism in any way so I just want to put it out there that I retract those remarks,” he said.

The matter was remanded to 23 September 2021 for further investigation